I Gained a Gallery in the Wild
Eps 3. A Fateful Encounter (2)
What's the most dangerous thing in the wild?
The
so-called ‘Three Deadly Poisons’. Poisonous plants, venomous insects, and
venomous snakes? Sure.
Or maybe mushrooms, the ultimate gamble?
That too.
Or perhaps starvation and dehydration? This is also
correct.
In the wilderness, away from the safety of civilization,
everything is a danger. Even the ground you step on isn’t guaranteed to be
safe.
And humans, when considered individually, are incredibly weak
beings. Without tools, we probably couldn’t even take on a large dog.
“Grrr!
Woof! Grrr!”
“Woof! Woof!”
Right now, a pack of large
dogs was growling viciously at me. The problem is, these aren’t just ordinary
large dogs.
They're as large as cows. Their stats were absurdly
overpowered, true to this fantasy world.
'Luckily, their size means
they can’t get much closer...’
I deliberately entered a densely
wooded area, considering the dogs' size.
The spot where I had
found the herb was decent, but it was exposed on all sides—and too fragile.
So
I ran for my life. I didn't forget the sword from HeavenlyDemon and the bundle
containing food.
Now, I’m holding up with my back to a massive
stone wall.
The wild dogs aren't trying to force their way through
the trees either, just watching.
In other words, they were smart.
They could tell I had the advantage here.
'What should I do?'
Do
I just keep holding out like this? I really hope these damn dogs just leave on
their own.
But you should always assume the worst. I immediately
accessed the gallery.
They hadn’t attacked yet, so I planned to
use the gallery to find help.
Title: Need urgent help dealing
with these damned dog bastards
Author: WildGrills
(Photo
of large dogs glaring through the trees)
How do I handle these
bastards? Any tips?
ㄴ Aren't those Mad Dogs? Why are they
so huge?
ㄴ Even a Sword Expert would struggle against those
things
ㄴ RIP, we’ll pray for you
ㄴ The second you get
bitten, you’re dead from rabies lolol
ㄴ WildGrills) Screw you
bastards, don’t answer questions with more questions
These
boneheads are no help at all. I frowned.
As time passes, these
so-called Mad Dogs will look for an opportunity. I need to figure out
something.
ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) No! Do not die! Please, do not die so
that This Great One may repay your kindness!
ㄴ Why so dramatic?
Lolol
ㄴ Anyone would think they’re lovers lolol
Heavenly
Demon's not-quite-encouragement was comforting. Not exactly practical help,
but still.
Still, the more comments that rolled in, the more eyes
landed on my post. Hopefully, someone useful would chime in.
ㄴ
Don'tAbandonHero) Ah! I've seen those beasts a lot! Their noses are their weak
point, just stabbing them with a sword will stun them for a few seconds!
ㄴ
How does the admin know that?
ㄴ Aren’t those beasts super rare?
ㄴ
Don'tAbandonHero) I’m a Hero! I know all the ways to deal with monsters and
beasts!
Thankfully, a passing admin offered some helpful advice.
Just as I was about to feel hopeful…
SwordMaster) But to follow
Admin's advice, don't you need to be at least a high-rank Sword Expert? That’s
what I’ve heard.
ㄴ The most useless advice in the world is ‘That’s
what I’ve heard’ lolol
ㄴ What happens if you can’t do it?
ㄴ
SwordMaster) It’ll go berserk, smash everything, trees and all. Then you'll
die
ㄴ Don'tAbandonHero) That's why you need to cut its throat or
stab their heart before that! I can do it!
Damn, shit. This damned
admin was a monster in human skin. And how does SwordMaster know all this?
I
don’t know what a Sword Expert is, but it's clearly monster-tier by my
standards.
ㄴ WildGrills) Any advice for an ordinary person? All
I’ve got is the sword HeavenlyDemon gave me
ㄴ Ordinary people
wouldn’t even meet those things (￢_￢) Is OP really in the Forest of Four
Seasons? A criminal or something?
ㄴ Nah can't be. They say
criminals who get sent there have their eyes gouged out so they can’t use the
gallery
ㄴ Holy crap, that’s brutal (ノωヽ)
ㄴ Isn't
gallery access itself imposible in the Forest of Four Seasons?
ㄴ
It's "impossible," not "imposible"
ㄴ Yeah I heard it doesn't work
'cause the mana's all messed up
ㄴ Just aim for its head Who cares
how big the damn thing is? A dog is still a dog
ㄴ For real lol
All
sorts of useless chatter, but the conclusion is one: Hit the head.
Really useful information. Comparable to ‘humans die without
water’.
ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) This Great One’s is among the finest of
fine swords. Cutting those wild dogs' heads would be child's play. Trust in
This Great One.
ㄴ SwordMaster) How good is it? Is it better than
Durandal or Excalibur?
ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) What are those? In any
case, it was made from Ten Thousand Years Cold Iron (만년한철(萬年寒鐵)).
ㄴ
Ten Thousand lolol Years lolol Cold lolol Iron lolol
ㄴ Whose dog's
name Ten Thousand Years Cold Iron is? Lol
HeavenlyDemon sayeth, the
sword is the finest among fine swords.
I glanced at the sword
after hearing HeavenlyDemon’s words. It definitely didn’t look ordinary.
I
could see it had been well-maintained. The terrain also worked to my
advantage, so maybe I really could take them on.
'It's do or
die.'
I fixed my gaze on the largest of the three dogs, standing in
the center.
There were three dogs in total, and the one in the
middle was the largest of the group.
That one must be the leader.
Without hesitation, I charged toward the leader.
“Grr! Grr!”
As
I did, the guards on either side of the leader started squeezing through the
trees.
“It’s a trap, you bastards!”
While pretending to
aim for the leader, I targeted a subordinate instead. Left side first.
It had already pushed half its body through the trees, so I
brought my sword down, aiming to split its head vertically.
I
didn’t know jackshit about swordsmanship, so it felt more like I was bashing
than cutting.
Swish-
"Huh?"
But something's
odd. I definitely swung down, but the sword seemed to have just grazed the
dog’s head.
For a moment, I thought I had missed, but the result
appeared soon enough.
Splurt!
The dog’s head split
cleanly in half, straight down the middle.
Thud!
It
collapsed with its tongue hanging out. Even the tongue was split vertically.
I stared at the collapsed dog in a daze. My hands felt no
resistance, no sensation at all.
If anything, it felt like slicing
through tofu. The sheer unreality of it left me stunned.
“Grrr!!”
Ah.
Right. There’s one more.
As soon as I heard the growling behind
me, I swung the sword reflexively.
It was an unconscious reaction
because the sound had gotten too close.
Splurt —
Thankfully,
the dog didn’t manage to pounce on me. Instead, its head and body separated
and fell to the ground with a thud.
Just like before, I barely felt
any resistance while cutting. I stood there, stunned, staring alternately at
the corpses of the dogs.
One thing, at least, became clear to
me.
HeavenlyDemon is a god, and this sword is invincible.
“Grrr…!”
"Ah. This one is still here."
The
last remaining leader dog. It was staring at me, extremely wary.
A
tense atmosphere stretched between us through the thick trees. Who would back
down first?
Naturally, it was the leader. After glancing back and
forth between its fallen pack, it slowly retreated.
It must have
realized that as long as I had this sword, it was at a disadvantage. Smart
bastard.
"Huuuft!"
The dangerous situation was finally
over. I let out a sigh that had been building up from the tension.
If it hadn’t been for the sword from HeavenlyDemon, or if I hadn’t
found that herb by chance earlier, what would have happened?
I
still didn’t have a compass, so wandering around aimlessly was risky. I would
have to wait until the HeavenlyDemon sent one.
'Ah. I should thank
them first.'
Wasting no time, I opened the gallery and started
typing.
Title: HeavenlyDemon is god
Author:
WildGrills
(Photo of dead dogs on the ground and a tightly gripped
sword)
This sword is invincible.
ㄴ Holy shit you
killed those?
ㄴThat sword must be fucking good lolol
ㄴ
SwordMaster) You cut them cleanly. Even with good sword, that's not easy.
ㄴ
Don’tAbandonHero) You’re alive! Thank goodness! I won’t have to mourn
today!
ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) Are you hurt anywhere?
ㄴ
WildGrills) Thanks to you, I’m fine. Thank you for the great sword
ㄴ
HeavenlyDemon) I'm relieved. This Great One feared you might have come to
harm.
Even through the gallery post, the concern in their tone was
palpable. Is this warm, caring person really Heavenly Demon? Unbelievable.
Her
way of speaking even reminded me of my late grandmother, making her oddly
endearing. Leaning back against the rock wall, I rested and browsed the
gallery.
ㄴ SwordMaster) If you’re not too busy, have you thought
about learning swordsmanship? You seem to have a talent.
ㄴ
HeavenlyDemon) No! This Great One shall personally teach him secret
techniques! How dare you!
ㄴ SwordMaster) Hey, don't be so strict.
Do you use swords too, HeavenlyDemon?
ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) This Great
One proficient with all weapons. But if pressed, it would be the sword.
Come to think of it, SwordMaster gives off an air of seniority.
Unlike others, they used proper 'periods' and 'spacing'.
While I
don't usually care much about such things, if the other party shows courtesy,
I tend to respond in kind.
Well, halfway, at least.
ㄴ
WildGrills) I need survival tools more than swordsmanship tho
ㄴ
SwordMaster) That makes sense. Let me think about it and get back to you.
ㄴ
HeavenlyDemon) This Great One will hurry down the mountain. I shall definitely
send the items you mentioned.
That was enough gallery time for now.
I stood up and stretched, ready to move on.
If I rest for too long,
other beasts might smell the blood and come.
It wasn't exactly a
fierce battle, but the tension drained a lot of my energy. Better start
moving.
'I need to find a place to hide until the compass
arrives...'
Rumble, rumble, rumble!!
Suddenly the ground
started shaking. I blinked and hurriedly stood up.
First beasts,
now natural disasters? What kind of bullshit misfortune is this?
But something felt strange. As soon as I leaned away from the
wall, the vibrations seemed to subside.
Before I could figure out
this strange feeling, the wall behind me started changing.
Grk,
grk, grk!
"....Oh. Holy..."
The wall is rising.
Literally, the wall is ascending.
Soon, the massive rock wall was
uprooted like a tree. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the 'wall' I
was looking at was actually a 'leg'.
Before I knew it, what I had
thought was a simple rocky mountain revealed itself as a towering two-legged
giant. In a daze, I opened the gallery.
Title: What the heck
is this thing?
Author: WildGrills
See title.
(Photo
of a stupidly huge rock giant standing tall)
ㄴ Holy shit?
Isn't that Stone Guardian?
ㄴ Why tf is a guardian there lol
ㄴ
Even Sword Master would have trouble with that, right? lololol
ㄴ
Dude what are you doing! Run for it!
Everyone's freaking out
telling me to run. I turned around without hesitation.
But I
didn't forget the food bundle on the ground. HeavenlyDemon gave it to me, no
way I was leaving that behind.
ㄴ That's worth 50,000 gold if you
kill it lol
ㄴ WildGrills) FFS FR
ㄴ He's still using
the gallery in the middle of this (O_O;)
ㄴ Someone translate
please
ㄴ Isn't it "for fuck sake for real"?
ㄴ Sounds
about right lololol
ㄴ Crazy bastard lolol
I barely
managed to escape. I leaned against a tree to catch my breath.
I
could hear the thumping noise from afar, but it's getting further away. It's
not coming my way.
‘This is insane.’
I narrowly avoided
one crisis, only to stumble into another. What kind of cursed forest is
this?
‘This better not be the Forest of Four Seasons.’
I
desperately hoped it wasn't. For now, they said gallery access isn't even
possible in the Forest of Four Seasons.
I caught my breath and
accessed the gallery.
Even while running, the endless
notifications had been impossible to ignore.
ㄴ SwordMaster)
Breaking that thing is simple. Just cut one leg and it'll lose balance. Then
stab its core in the chest with your sword.
ㄴ Why are you
explaining it like it’s a ramen recipe lol
ㄴ ???: It's easy,
right?
This SwordMaster person is pretty far from normal too.
Wonder what kind of person they are.
Like I did with HeavenlyDemon,
I looked through SwordMaster's post history.
[You Can Do It Too!
Advanced Swordsmanship, Lesson 15] - 2 hours ago
[You Can Do It
Too! Advanced Swordsmanship, Lesson 14] - 1 day ago
[You Can Do It
Too! Advanced Swordsmanship, Lesson 13] - 2 day ago
"...."
Oh, shit. They’re a sword maniac.
Every
single post is about swordsmanship lectures. A different kind of crazy.
The number of posts might be less than HeavenlyDemon's, but unlike
HeavenlyDemon who mostly shitposts, these are full of dedication.
A uselessly diligent madman. There's no better way to describe
SwordMaster.
But among all their posts, one stood out as
especially bizarre.
Title: Looking for a Partner.
Author: SwordMaster
Condition: Must be stronger than a
Sword Master.
ㄴ How often do you swing your sword, dude?
ㄴ
Swordmaster) Not telling.
ㄴ The heck lmao
There were no
sane people in the gallery.
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